A choice collection of stories for the preschool child, carefully selected, adapted, and arranged by two veteran kindergarten teachers. Includes nature stories, holiday stories, fairy tales and fables, as well as stories of home life. Emphasis is placed on fanciful tales for their value in the training of the imagination and on cumulative tales for developing a child's sense of humor and appealing to his instinctive love of rhyme and jingle. Ages 4-7

464 pages

$15.95

HOW THE FIR TREE BECAME THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Aunt Hede, in "Kindergarten Magazine."

THIS is the story of how the fir tree became the
Christmas tree.

At the time when the Christ Child was born all the
people, the animals, and the trees, and plants were
very happy. The Child was born to bring peace and
happiness to the whole world. People came daily to
[239] see the little One, and they always brought gifts
with them.

There were three trees standing near the crypt which
saw the people, and they wished that they, too, might
give presents to the Christ Child.

The Palm said: "I will choose my most beautiful leaf,
and place it as a fan over the Child."

"And I," said the Olive, "will sprinkle sweet-smelling
oil upon His head."

"What can I give to the Child?" asked the Fir, who
stood near.

"You!" cried the others. "You have nothing to offer
Him. Your needles would prick Him, and your tears are
sticky."

So the poor little Fir tree was very unhappy, and it
said: "Yes, you are right. I have nothing to offer
the Christ Child."

Now, quite near the trees stood the Christmas Angel,
who had heard all that the trees had said. The Angel
was sorry for the Fir tree who was so lowly and without
envy of the other trees. So, when it was dark, and the
stars came out, he begged a few of the little stars to
come down and rest upon the branches of the Fir tree.
They did as the Christmas Angel asked, and the Fir tree
shone suddenly with a beautiful light.

And, at that very moment, the Christ Child opened His
eyes—for He had been asleep—and as the lovely light
fell upon Him He smiled.

Every year people keep the dear Christ Child's birthday
by giving gifts to each other, and every year, in
remembrance of His first birthday, the Christmas Angel
places in every house a fir tree, also. Covered with
starry candles it shines for the children as the
[239] stars
shone for the Christ Child. The Fir tree was rewarded
for its meekness, for to no other tree is it given to
shine upon so many happy faces.

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